Vicki Igoya, the Amazon PR manager who helped create the Academy Award-winning campaigns for “Manchester By the Sea” and “The Salesman,” died Saturday at the age of 48. Her family said on social media that the cause was cancer.
Eguia most recently served as Director of Public Relations, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Relations at Amazon. She joined the company in 2015 to head advertising for its original film arm and played a crucial role in helping the streaming service integrate into the world of award seasons and theater distribution as it looked to compete more aggressively in the film industry.
In a note to staff, Amazon Studios President Jen Salke and Head of Public Relations Cory Shields wrote, “As many of you know all too well, Vicki was an accomplished team player – always ready to engage with full commitment and dedication. We will all miss her charm and sense of humor.”
In 2017, Amazon became the first streaming service to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture with the movie “Manchester by the Sea.” After Amazon purchased the film at the Sundance Film Festival, Igoya helped design the film’s publicity strategy, a grueling drama that became a commercial and critical success. At Amazon, Eguia has shown a passion for attracting attention for foreign language films and Art House releases, such as “The Salesman,” “Cold War,” and “Les Misérables,” all of which received Academy Award nominations. She has also worked on campaigns for Amazon releases such as “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”, “Brittany Runs a Marathon”, “The Big Sick”, “One Night in Miami” and “Coming 2 America”.
Smart, funny, and indefatigable, Igoya was so well respected by Hollywood trade correspondents that they blew her phone at all hours of the day and night for information on festival takeover or casting. She also had a deep love for films and the artists who make them, forging many close friendships with filmmakers whose projects she helped introduce to the world.
During her decades-long career in advertising, Igoya has worked for Millennium Entertainment, Apparition, Picturehouse and Newmarket Films. She played a major role in the publicity efforts of films such as “Bernie,” “Bright Star,” “A Prairie Home Companion,” “The Passion of the Christ,” and “The Beast.” At Picturehouse, she also helped design the “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “La Vie en Rose” awards campaigns.
Eguia began her career in 2000 as an account executive for Rogers & Cowen in the film department.
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